Red Rocks AmphitheaterLocated fifteen miles west of of Denver, Colorado near the town of Morrison, Red Rocks Amphitheater is a geologically formed natural amphitheater that has been hailed by both performers and music fans as one of the best venues for live music in the world. The venue is famous throughout the world for its natural beauty and near perfect acoustics. Geddy Lee of Rush, "It's an amazing location. One of the most beautiful concert venues in America...or anywhere. I would hazard a guess that it's one of the most beautiful anywhere." Red Rocks Amphitheater is a favorite tour stop for rock bands, dating back to August 26, 1964 when the Beatles played there. The amphitheater was also a favorite venue for the Grateful Dead during their glory days. Subsequent jam bands have followed the tradition and almost always include it on their tour schedules, often playing multi-night engagements. Widespread Panic has played 36 shows (35 as headliners), a Red Rocks record. U2 played Red Rocks on June 5, 1983. The performance was recorded and released as the ground-breaking full concert-length video Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky. Two tracks from the show were included on U-2's 1983 live album, Under a Blood Red Sky. Better advertising for the amphitheater couldn't have been bought at any price. Countless artists have chosen to release Red Rocks Recordings from live shows.
The design of the amphitheater is a product of slow earth movements that pushed up two giant sandstone ledges (Ship Rock and Creation Rock) from the prehistoric ocean floor 250 million years ago. These huge rocks lie on opposite sides of the seating area. A large, tilted, rock lies behind the stage, and a huge vertical rock is to the right of the stage. To the left of the stage, several large boulders angle outwards. The seating area holds 9,450 people. The history of live music at Red Rocks Amphitheater dates back more than one hundred years when it was still known as Garden of Angels. The owner at the time, John Brisben Walker, who once owned Cosmopolitan Magazine, opened the natural amphitheater in 1906 as Garden of the Titans. The first performing act was Pietro Satriano and his 25-piece brass band. Walker produced shows there until 1910. Walker was wealthy, but his vision for the land exceeded his reach. He eventually coaxed the City of Denver into purchasing the park to make his dream a reality. In 1927, Denver purchased the land for $54,133. The labor and materials were provided by Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Works Projects Administration. Burnham Hoyt, a Denver architect, was contracted to design the amphitheater. He was instructed to preserve and accent the natural beauty of the environment. The project was completed in 1941.
The amphitheater is part of the 818 acre Red Rocks Park, which is open to the pubic. The park is open daily from 5:00 AM to 11:00 PM, with slight visitor modifications during paid entrance show events. Guided tours of Red Rocks Amphitheater are offered at 10 am every day of the week. Sign up for the tour inside Red Rocks Visitor Center. The tour highlights both the history and science behind Red Rocks Park. A favorite exhibit is the Performers Hall of Fame display. The Trading Post Loop is a hiking trail that will take you through almost a mile and a half of rock formations and other rugged terrain - in fact, so rugged that you should allow yourself two hours to walk the entire loop. The trail, at an elevation of 6,280 feet, might not be suitable for those with certain medical conditions. For everybody else, proper footwear, preferably hiking boots, is recommended. Most who haven't visited before are surprised to learn that the trail is less than 30 inches wide in most places.
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